by Dr. Blessing Anyatonwu, D.C., M.S.
Many Americans are deficient in this powerful mineral and the role it plays with calcium in muscle health. There is a delicate balance between calcium and magnesium and if it is not maintained it will leave you more susceptible to muscle cramping, headaches and other conditions. Magnesium is needed to maintain normal muscle and nerve function, healthy immune system and build and maintain healthy bones.
Calcium allows the muscles to contract and magnesium allows the muscles to relax, when we take in too much calcium and not enough magnesium we are more likely to suffer from the following:
Headaches
Migraines
Tremor of hands
Numbness of hands or feet
Muscle weakness
Muscle tics
Muscle spasms
Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxer and is better than taking prescription muscle relaxers that have serious side effects and deplete other nutrients and minerals that are important for muscle health.
Flexeril, is a common prescription muscle relaxer and some of the side effects include dizziness, abnormal heartbeat, aggressive behavior, agitation, confusion, convulsions, hallucinations, headache, hepatitis, muscle twitching and severe allergic reactions.
Muscle relaxers work by depressing the central nervous system and thereby stopping the signals from the brain and spine that cause the muscles to tense up or spasm.
You can get magnesium from your food or Natural Calm, a magnesium supplement, without the side effects of prescription muscle relaxers. Natural Calm is in powder form which dissolves easily in water, so your body doesn’t have to wait hours to break it down. Magnesium relaxes all the muscles in the body not just the skeletal muscle. The smooth muscle in our digestive tract relaxes and you may get diarrhea if you take too much supplemental magnesium. When taking magnesium supplements it is important to start slow.
The good thing about magnesium is that it isn’t just good for muscle health it is needed for overall well being. Magnesium is also known as the stress mineral. Stress affects muscle health by causing our muscles to tense up and not relax, this leads to many of the conditions that people present with.
Magnesium Rich Foods
The following foods are rich in magnesium and are a great way to get this powerful nutrient into your diet.
Dark chocolate
Avocados
Bananas
Halibut
Spinach
Beans
Pinto beans
Kidney beans
Legumes
Black eyed peas
Lentils
Seeds
Sunflower seeds
Flaxseeds
Squash and pumpkin seeds
Sesame seeds
Nut and Nut Butters
Brazil nuts
Peanuts
Peanut butter
Almonds
Cashews
Getting magnesium through food also provides you with other vitamins and minerals that you body needs to function at its best.
Dr.Blessing Anyatonwu is a health advocate, speaker and health care professional that believes that prevention is the best medicine. She is in private practice in Austin, Texas and provides nutritional counseling for clients through email and Skype. She works with clients who are tired of being told that drugs are the only answer to their health problems and helps clients come up with individualized plans for their health success. Send questions, comments and nutritional counseling inquiries to info@earnestholistichealth.com
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